Mending the Heart of a Broken Child
by MyKnightLife
Summary: Shadow Kirby has ran away from his life back in the mirror, and he's never going back. He doesn't know where he'll go, or what he'll do, but anything is better than enduring the pain and suffering he's experinced for so many years back home. He'll deal with many physical and emotional challenges, but maybe with time, and patience, he'll learn what it means to be loved by a family.
1. Chapter 1

Shadow ran as fast as his little feet would carry him. He ran until his heart was pounding out of his chest, and his breathing was labored and choked from the tears that he attempted to hold back. He didn't know how long he had been out here, but it didn't matter. As long as he got away from him he didn't care…

It was raining heavily, making the ground soggy and slippery, and visibility poor. More than once he had tripped and fallen, getting himself muddy and scraping up his already bruised and beaten body, but despite it he pressed on. He had escaped the mirror long ago, and once he set foot in this new world he didn't look back. Shadow had no idea where he'd go or what he'd do, but as long as he got away it didn't matter. He just wanted to be safe…

Shadow continued on, pushing his body to its limit and not even caring. Anything was better than enduring the things he had experienced back home. Why, when Dark Meta Knight finds out he escaped… he'd sure be in for it if he got caught!

Tears welled up in his eyes at the scary thought. His "mentor" Dark Meta Knight had always been very hard on him... abusive even! Shadow was never really sure what caused Dark's outburst toward him; be it his mentor had a bad day, or he was mad at him for something he'd done (usually unknowingly), or even for some other reason entirely, but it usually resulted in himself getting struck or beat. It scared him so very much when Dark acted out like that. He'd always hide in attempts to avoid the onslaught, hoping he wouldn't be found and could avoid his mentors wrath. Occasionally he would succeed, but for the most part his efforts were in vain. In the end he'd wind up with at least a few tender bruises or cuts to tend to, and usually the angrier his mentor was, the worse the beating.

He couldn't ever remember a time where he had ever done anything to purposefully wrong his mentor, so what was he doing to deserve such ill treatment? To receive such deep physical and emotional scarring? To be born into such a life… ?

Shadow didn't know the answer to any of those questions, and that frightened him. The unknown scared him more than anything, and that was the only reason he hadn't left his abusive situation sooner. He was afraid of the outside world, leaving what he knew even if it meant living in fear and enduring Dark's wrath every single day. At the time… it seemed better.

But Dark's most recent outburst was one of the worst Shadow had ever experienced. His physical injuries were extreme, with many cuts and bruises all over his body. It hurt to even move, let alone run and push himself for as long as he had. His whole body ached in burning pain, and his cuts stung to the point that they almost felt numb. It didn't help that he'd gotten mud in a number of them. But what struck Shadow most was the look of pure hate and wrath in his mentors eyes. There was a wild, burning anger in them that scared him to his wits end, and he knew if he stayed there a moment longer, then his life would be in more danger than it already was.

And that's when he ran. He ran until his chest and lungs hurt, and his bodies muscles started cramping up to get as far away from Dark Meta Knight as possible. He didn't care how far he went, or how scary it was… Anything was better than his life back home.

And now here he was, far away from home and sprinting past forests, and through muddy meadows, all in an effort to be freed from his terrible life on the other side of the mirror.

Suddenly thunder and lightning cracked, illuminating the night sky. Shadow gave a loud, terrified shriek at the sudden noise, and in a panic he sprinted into the woods as fast as he could, attempting to get away and hide in the shadows. However, as he rushed passed trees and bushes it quickly became apparent that he was even more disoriented than before. He couldn't tell one direction from another in the blackness, and the visibility from the rain was no help at all! He had no idea where he was or what direction he was going!

Heart racing and fear coursing though his veins, he looked about every which way as he ran, attempting to get his bearings. His panic rose, just about making him distraught when all of a sudden his foot caught on something and he was sent hurdling straight down to the muddy ground with a heavy thud.

Shadow gave a pained grunt from the impact. He laid there recovering, breathing heavily as the rain poured down on him. Once he recovered his breathing and calmed down a little, he moved his paws underneath himself and started to get up. However, a sharp pain immediately shot through his left foot, taking his breath away and causing him to collapse. He gasped and bit his lip, blinking back tears. When the pain subsided, he carefully turned to lay on his side, and looked back at his foot.

It had caught on a tree root, and was currently twisted in an odd and uncomfortable angle. Grimacing, he gently moved his foot out from under the root. He rubbed it a little as a self-comforting gesture.

"S-stupid twee…" he mumbled, his voice high and slightly squeaky due to his young age.

Once his foot felt better, he glanced around his surroundings warily, taking in how dark the forest was and how shadows appeared to wisp about just out of sight. A part of him halfway expected to have Dark Meta Knight jump out at him any second!

He swallowed hard, struggling to control his nerves at the thought. He needed to get moving again…

Slowly he managed to get himself into a sitting position. Keeping one paw on the ground for leverage, he carefully eased onto his feet, making sure to not put any weight on his injured foot yet.

Once steady he gave a deep breath. Then, he gently set his foot down, and slowly spreading his weight across it. He cringed and sucked his breath in at the sharp, burning sensation that occurred from the action, but he just gritted his teeth and waited until the pain subsided.

It took a minute or two, but once the pain seemed to subside enough Shadow heaved a heavy, and tired sigh. This was the first time he had stopped running in a solid couple of hours, and he could feel his fatigue washing over him. The rain wasn't helping in the slightest either. He was cold and wet, and shivering so violently that it was sapping away whatever energy he had left. His lungs were also very raspy and they felt as if they were about to burst. His body ached all over from his bruises, and his cuts and scrapes stung to no end. And now to top it all off, the pain in his left foot was basically crippling… Would he even be able to walk on it?

Fear started to wash over him like a tidal wave. If he couldn't walk, then he wouldn't be able to get away from Dark! And if he couldn't get as far away from his mentor with the short time that he had, then that meant Dark would be able to hunt him down and find him that much faster!

His heart rate sharply increased, and tears quickly welled up in his eyes, with a few even managing to streak down his grey cheeks. Some feeble hiccups escaped his lips too, as his emotions started to get the better of him.

He couldn't even stand the thought of seeing Dark again! He didn't want to endure anymore pain and suffering, or fear when Dark would lash out, or wonder where his next meal would come from. All he wanted was to live a quiet and happy life, away from him! A strong part of him even desperately hoped he could find someone that'd would love him… especially now. He was cold, wet, tired, and pushed to his limits. He could just picture being tightly found by a loving mother or father in this instance; they'd embrace tightly, and he'd cry for sure, but in the end he'd know everything would be okay.

But… he didn't have that. All he had was himself, and he knew he had to keep going, no matter how exhausted he was! He needed to get as much distance between them as possible… no matter the circumstances.

Breathing a shaky sigh, somehow Shadow found it within himself to carefully start putting one foot in front of the other. He whimpered at the burning pain his foot created in protest to his movements, but he couldn't stop now. His walking was very slow and deliberate however, and he had a terrible limp. Each step on his left foot was pure agony!

He gritted his teeth and held back tears from his pain. With each new step he could feel his strength draining out of him more than the last, and at this rate he wasn't sure if he'd make it much longer. He was shaking and stumbling from exhaustion, but every little step was just one step farther away from Dark… And that, was worth it.

However, just as he finished that thought, his left foot suddenly buckled beneath him and he was sent crashing down to the ground again. He gasped and heaved from the pain searing though his foot, with tears now freely flowing down his cheeks. He tried to push himself back up ignoring his aching body and foot, but his arms were shaky and quickly gave under his weight. The last of his energy and strength was gone…

He breathed in large, choked breaths as the realization hit him like a ton of bricks… His body was done. He couldn't go any farther. Now matter how much he wanted to run, to get away from Dark and out of these woods, he simply couldn't do it. The pain coursing through his veins and his fatigue was just too much to bear. He had pushed himself to his limits and was paying the price.

Shadow laid there, getting poured on by the rain, and hearing the thunder in the distance, as his situation sunk into his mind. He thought about it a moment more, before his face twisted into a grimace and he started sobbing, holding the top of his head with his paws in distress.

"Help!" He yelled out, hoping to reach the ears of someone… anyone! He didn't care who it was as long as it wasn't Dark… he just wanted to be saved. He wasn't ready to die!

But he didn't hear any reply. Just the pouring rain and distant thunder. His ruby colored eyes widened in fear, as more tears welled up in them. "Help!" he yelled out again, voice rasping. "Please… Please help me! S-somebody… anybody… help me…" His voice was nothing but a pathetic whisper now. He didn't even have the strength to yell anymore.

He stared at the ground, tears rolling down his cheeks as he closed his eyes and started crying into his paws. There was no one out here… Like always he was alone. He wouldn't be saved! He'd be lucky if he survived the night at this rate!

In anguish he cried long and hard. His breathing was raspy and labored as he choked on his hiccupping sobs. He cried until his throat hurt and he lost his voice. With each sob he could feel himself slipping further and further away. What little strength he had left was being taken by his crying and his convulsive shivering from the cold rain. He didn't know how long he cried. Minutes? Hours? It didn't really matter. He just cried until he couldn't muster the energy to do so anymore.

Now, he just laid in the rain, shivering and struggling to stay awake as his mind started to slip.

He felt so cold... so numb. His shivering was extremely violent as his body attempted to keep warm, and his teeth chattered, and his lips started turning blue. He wasn't under any sort of shelter, and the only thing that eased the rainfall was the tree canopy above, but it did little to help. He was exposed, left for dead in the cold wind and rain.

As his condition deteriorated, the darkness started encroaching on his thoughts, threatening to take him. He fought it multiple times, but each time it dug deeper into the crevices of his mind

Finally, after what felt like the hundredth time of fighting to stay awake, he closed his eyes and the darkness consumed him. It'd be a miracle if he survived the night…

* * *

 **Hey guys! New story, I know. I can't seem to keep focused on any one thing lol. But this idea was so good, that I literally had to drop everything and start it. I hope you liked the first chapter!**

 **This story is based on my new headcannon that Dark Meta Knight is physically abusive to Shadow Kirby. A lot of people tend to view their relationship much like Meta Knight and Kirby's, and for some reason, that never felt right to me. Don't get me wrong, I love the feels of sweet relationships like that, but Dark Meta Knight doesn't seem like the person to have any sympathy for a child... at least to me. So despite the sensitivitie nature of the subject, I plan to keep it tame and comfortable for a T rating. Rather than focus on the abusive, I want to focus on Shadow's physical aand emotional recovery into a new life. Despite the setbacks Shadow will have, I want things to slowly get better from here. Shadow needs a little more love on here anyway ;)**

 **So I hope you guys like what I have so far! I'm trying a new writing method and it seems to be working well for me so far. I started this chapter about a week and a half ago, maybe 2 weeks, but I only had about 4-5 days of actual writing time because I got sick. I hope I can make just as good time with the next chapters, both in this story, and my others.**

 **Thank you for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

Early the next morning, Meta Knight casually walked the path that led to the training grounds that he and his student, Kirby, frequented. The said pink puffball was trotting in front of him, merrily humming a tune.

Though the tot was content to stay on the path at the moment, Meta Knight was quickly discovering that Kirby's attention span was rather limited today. More than once already, Kirby had started to wonder, smelling the blooming flowers, or finding pretty leaves to collect, and butterflies to chase. There was nothing wrong with these things in themselves, but Meta Knight had already called Kirby back quite a number of times for getting distracted and straying just a tad too far. He'd simply remind the child to stay close, stay focused, and remember the task at hand; their training session for today. And while Kirby would give a cute smile and nod, it wouldn't be but a few minutes later until the process repeated itself…

Meta Knight stared at the ground as he thought all this through. At this rate keeping Kirby focused would definitely prove to be a challenge for training. He'd likely have to get creative with it; a trait that didn't exactly come natural to him…

Suddenly a high pitched fit of laughter brought Meta Knight out of his thoughts. He looked up ahead of him to see Kirby dancing around, as a blue butterfly fluttered around the boy. Meta Knight smirked, and shook his head at the sight. Despite his slight frustration on keeping Kirby focused, he couldn't help but crack the smallest of smiles at seeing Kirby enjoy himself.

He gave a small sigh, and approached the tot, lightly shooing away the butterfly. "Come along, Kirby," he said, walking past the child to lead the way. "We aren't too far from our training grounds now. It's best we don't get distracted with anything else…"

Kirby gave a sad frown, rather crestfallen that his playtime with the butterfly was over. However, he obeyed his mentor, and started slowly following nonetheless.

However, suddenly there was a small flash of blue in his face, and Kirby stopped in his tracks. It was his new butterfly friend again!

He beamed a smile at the return of the blue insect. It seems Meta Knight's attempts of shooing it off had done little to deter it.

He continued staring in wonder at the beautiful butterfly fluttering around him. It flew about a moment more, looking for a suitable resting spot, before choosing to land right on his nose.

Kirby giggled as the blue insect lightly tickled his face, its wings gently pumping and brushing his cheeks. He stared intently at it's delicate, yet lovely, shimmering blue coloration before it fluttered off his face, and flew in a circle around him.

He continued to follow it, enchanted by its beauty, as he hopped and pawed at it. However that butterfly stayed just out of reach and flew off deeper into the woods.

Not wishing to lose sight of it, Kirby chased after the flying insect, lightly giggling, and leaving his mentor walking alone on the path.

"Now Kirby…" Meta Knight stated, unaware that the tot had wondered off. "When we get to the meadow we're going to start with some meditation exercises. It'll help you calm down and focus on the task at hand, as well as make it easier for you to harness that energy for later. I'll explain more once we get there. Do you understand?"

However there was no response.

Meta Knight stopped in his tracks and looked back. He scanned the path, expecting to see Kirby following behind, but was only met with the wind gently blowing some stray leaves around.

He gave a sigh, realizing that Kirby had strayed once again. "What am I going to do with you..?" he mumbled.

He slowly shook his head, before setting off into the woods and calling Kirby's name.

* * *

Kirby pranced after the butterfly, giggling and laughing as he gently pawed at it.

He followed it for a few long minutes, enjoying the complete bliss, while remaining totally unaware how far he was trekking into the woods. He failed to notice the eerie quiet that had settled around him, and how the trees grew taller, and fuller, making the forest appear and scarier.

He continued to chase after the butterfly, watching as it flew out of sight over a thick patch of bushes.

Not deterred in the slightest, Kirby walked over to the thick foliage and started pushing the leaves aside. It didn't take him long to wiggle his way to the other side of the bush, and spot his butterfly friend making its way across the trail.

He was just about ready to follow it, when the butterfly flew past something in the middle of the trail that caught his eye.

Kirby stared at it a moment, trying to figure out he was seeing, before his heart was suddenly in his throat, as he finally realized what he was looking at. He grew pale, his heart starting to race, and chills running down his spine as his eyes widened in fear. He started shaking, and before he could stop it, the loudest, and most terrified scream escaped his lips, shaking the whole forest around him.

"MENAAA!"

* * *

Meta Knight abruptly stopped in his tracks, heart skipping a beat as the sounds of a loud, terrified scream abruptly filled his ears off in the distance. He turned in the direction of the panicked calls, blood running cold once he realized it was Kirby desperately calling for him. Not wasting any time he sprinted off in that direction.

"Kirby!? Kirby, where are you!?" he shouted. However, there was no indication that the tot had heard, as the child's panic continued to echo through the forest.

Meta Knight growled, realizing that he was beyond earshot of the puffball. Adrenaline now fuling him, he sped off in the direction of Kirby's calls. He grabbed Galaxia's hilt, the sacred Sword bursting and cracking as he drew it out, causing it to materialize in an explosion of electric sparks far stronger than normal, as the Sword reacted to his heightened emotions.

He had to reach the child as quickly as possible! A sickening gut instinct told him this was serious... Kirby never reacted like this to anything! Not even the frequent demon-beast attacks that used to plague the village caused him to act like this. If Kirby was in real danger, time was of the essence! He wouldn't hesitate to slice through anything that threatened the boy!

Keeping his strong pace, Meta Knight managed to close the gap between Kirby and himself rather quickly. Coupled with the screams of panic, it didn't take him long to spot a glimpse of the young one's pink form, frantically running through the forest.

"Kirby!" Meta Knight called sternly, as he suddenly came rushing through the bushes, and skidding to a halt in front of the pink puffball.

Kirby gave a harsh scream and jumped back, not expecting his mentors sudden appearance. In the process he managed to trip on a rock, and fall flat on his back. He gave a whimper, the pain resonating through him.

Meta Knight quickly came rushing to his side to help him up. Offering a hand he asked, "Are you alright, Kirby...?! What's going on? What happened?"

Kirby groaned, as his mentor helped him up. It was only then that Meta Knight realized that Kirby was choking down tears, as he struggled to keep himself composed. He worryingly gazed at the shaken child, all while eyeing the surrounding area closely, in case of any imposing threats.

"Kirby…" Meta Knight began, tone uneasy. "I need you to calm down, and tell me what's going on. Is something wrong?"

The puffball sniffled, before looking up at Meta Knight with a very fearful expression. He nodded, tears glistening his eyes. He took his mentors hand and desperately started pulling, and pointing in the direction he came from.

"Mena! Helwp poyo!" Then he ran a few paces off, looking back worry plainly written all over his face.

Though slightly confused, it didn't take Meta Knight long to understand that Kirby was trying to get him to follow, and he quickly made pace behind the child, allowing Kirby to lead the way.

They ran through the forest, with Kirby quickly leading him deeper, and deeper into the unknown. With the forest becoming thicker, and darker it brought about an uneasy sensation that put Meta Knight on edge. He was just about ready to call it, before Kirby suddenly slowed down. He carefully approached a large patch of bushes, hesitating…

Meta Knight came up beside him, looking at the nervous child.

Kirby glanced up at his mentor, looking rather pale all of a sudden, before motioning toward the bushes.

Though still rather confused, Meta Knight guided Kirby behind him, before parting the leaves, Galaxia at the ready. However, he wasn't at all expecting what was revealed on the other side…

Meta Knight's eyes widened at the sight before him. There, laying in the middle of the woods with no shelter, was a small, grey puffball child. It appeared to be in very poor condition, covered in mud and dirt from head to toe, and his left foot was also extremely swollen from another injury of some sort. From the looks of it, the youth wasn't breathing either… If it had gotten caught in last night's storm, Meta Knight unfortunately knew that there was a high chance the child was already dead.

"Kirby… stay here," Meta Knight said, much to the tot's dismay. Kirby protested some, but Meta Knight gave him a stern look and he quieted. "It'll only take a minute..."

He then cautiously approached the grey puffball, hoping to find any signs of life. But as he got closer, that seemed like a very thin prospect…

The child looked even worse upon closer inspection, as he took notice of some open cuts, and bruising under all the dirt. What in Nova's name had happened to this child?

Slowly, Meta Knight laid a hand on the young one and gave a few gentle rubs to see if it'd move. He just about flinched at how cold and clammy the child's skin was on contact, and his concern started to grow. The child had definitely been laying here a while…

Having gotten no response he opted to carefully roll the child onto its back. However, he wasn't exactly prepared for what he saw, and he gave a low, almost inaudible groan in remorse once he got a good look at the youth's face.

This child was a very young male of their species, around the same age as Kirby in fact. Besides the difference in skin color, the similarities between them were remarkable, and Meta Knight couldn't help but see Kirby in the young ones pale face. If one didn't know any better they could appear to be twins… Besides this, one deep, and bloody gash on the right side of the kids head took Meta Knight's attention. His guess was either the child fell and hit his head on a rock, or something attacked him. Given all the boys other injuries… the latter seemed more likely.

Pushing his thoughts aside, with a sigh Meta Knight reached out and started feeling for a pulse around the puffballs neck, no matter how slight.

He felt around for a minute, struggling to find one. However, he kept at it. If the boy was still alive it was likely that the child was hypothermic, and if that was the case then there was a good chance his heart rate and breathing had dropped dramatically. If he waited just a little longer, he would eventually get his answer… Meta Knight just hoped they weren't too late for this young one…

It wasn't long before his hopes were answered, as he suddenly felt a small pulse. As if to solidify that he hadn't imagined it, the boy took in a small intake of breath, admittedly startling the knight away from his inspection.

Heart skipping a beat, Meta Knight murmured, "By the stars… he's still alive…" In disbelief, he watched as the child's breathing slowed once again, to the point where it was extremely difficult to tell if he was still drawing in air.

Immediately Meta Knight's heart started racing, adrenaline kicking in. This child needed to be taken back and tended to, or he would most certainly die within a matter of hours! And he certainly wasn't going to stand for that!

Just as he was about to move to pick the child up, Meta Knight felt a small form lean against him. He glanced down to see Kirby huddling against him, holding his cape in his paws with a very unsure and fearful expression.

"D-dead poyo?" Kirby asked, as he looked up at his mentor wide-eyed.

Meta Knight gave a small sigh, his gaze softening. He moved his hand atop Kirby's head, gently stroking in reassurance before saying, "No little one, he's not dead. However, he's very ill and needs to be taken back so his wounds can be addressed, and he can recover. I'm sorry, but we'll have to skip training for today."

With that he quickly, but gently, picked up the grey puffball in his arms. Making sure the puffball was securely in his grip, Meta Knight tightly bundled the boy up in his cape for warmth, and then turned to Kirby.

"Quickly, Kirby… We don't have much time."

Kirby gave a nod, and with that Meta Knight turned and started running back to the castle, with the pink puff hot on his heels.

* * *

Kirby and Meta Knight raced down the halls of Castle DDD. They had made it back in a solid fifteen minutes, and Meta Knight had no plans of slowing down. They needed to quickly get back to his apartment to give the youth the attention he needed. Hopefully, with some proper care and a warm place to rest, the child would pull through…

They continued to twist and turn down the many halls, passing a few confused Waddle Dee's before finally making it back to Meta Knight's apartment.

Meta Knight opened the door, giving a quick look around to make sure no one was watching before entering. He left the door open just long enough to allow Kirby in, before closing and locking it to make sure no unwelcome visitors arrived. He preferred to keep this whole situation a secret until he knew more about the child's condition.

"Kirby," Meta Knight said, addressing pink puffball standing in front of him. "Would you get some blankets from my room please? There should be some extras under my bed."

Kirby gave a quick nod, before turning and running off into the other room to fetch the blankets.

Meta Knight on the other hand moved over toward the fireplace. While still holding the child in one arm, he managed to set a few fresh pieces of wood in the firepit. He then grabbed himself a match, struck it across his mask to light it, and then placed it down into the wood pile to light. It didn't take long before a sizeable and toasty fire was roaring in the fireplace.

He remained in front of the fire, holding the child close for warmth as he waited for Kirby to return. He didn't have to wait long though, because within that minute Kirby came walking out of the room with a huge armful of blankets in hand.

"Just set them down here by the fire, little one," Meta Knight stated.

Kirby did as told and set the giant mass of blankets down in front of the fire. The two of them then spent the next few minutes adjusting and laying the blankets out into a comfy, and warm bed.

Meta Knight then carefully set the young boy down, but he didn't cover him up yet.

Kirby watched as his mentor walked off into the bathroom, leaving him standing beside the grey puffball. He could hear Meta Knight opening a cabinet or two, and rummaging through things, before coming out of the bathroom a minute later with a moist rag and First Aid kit in hand.

He then returned to their side, and sat down on the pile of blankets to tend to the grey child.

Meta Knight picked up the young one, wet rag in hand, and started carefully wiping off all the excess dirt and mud on the boy, being mindful of any open cuts, and scrapes. There were a few wounds that would need a bit of extra attention, especially the large cut on the child's forehead, but as long as they were all cleaned properly they should heal fine. What Meta Knight was really worried about though was the child's left foot. It was twisted in a rather odd angle, and was quite swollen. Given the swelling it was hard to tell exactly what the problem was, but Meta Knight knew at the very least it was badly sprained, if not broken. If the young one pulled through, it would definitely need a doctor's examination…

For a good few minutes they all sat around in silence, as Meta Knight focused on cleaning up the youth.

Kirby on the other hand was engrossed in his own thoughts. He watched intently with wide and curious eyes as Meta Knight wiped away the excess dirt from the child's face, causing the physical features to become more visible. He took note of how similar they looked in appearance despite their obvious color differences, as he became enthralled with the boy. While he had seen his mentor's face a couple times in the past, it occurred to him that not once had he ever seen someone of his species so close in age to himself before. Seeing someone so young, just like him, truly captivated him...

What was this puffball like? Was he nice? What color were his eyes? Did he like to eat food as much as he did? Would he get better, and if so… Would they be friends?

Kirby beamed a smile at the thought of a new friend. He loved making new friends, and the thought of having someone just like him to play with made his blood rush with excitement.

He continued watching, standing on his tiptoes, and hovering over the boy as Meta Knight brought out an antiseptic wipe from the first aid kit, and started carefully cleaning around the large gash on the child's head.

Kirby watched this, his smile shifting into a slight frown as his thoughts turned from excitable, happy ones, to anxious and worried ones. His stomach twisted in an upset knot, as the situation started to sink in.

Though the kid was now looking much better than before, the boy's face was very pale, and his injuries were quite disheartening to see. At this rate, Kirby had no way of knowing if this mystery puffball would get any better, and that bothered him...

He absolutely hated seeing people upset, or hurt under normal circumstances, but this… this felt different. It was a hard thing to explain, but Kirby felt oddly connected to this boy though not even knowing something as simple as his name. It was as if he could 'feel' the boy's energy. It wasn't a happy sort of feeling, but one filled with great sadness… Kirby didn't like it at all, and hated to see the grey puffball in such a sad state. His physical injuries alone were distressing enough, but the depressing air the child carried with him only added to it…

He stared at the boy a moment more, distressed by the youths condition, before finally breaking the silence.

"M-Mena?" he hesitantly asked his mentor.

"Hm…? Yes, Kirby?" Meta Knight replied, looking up at the tot. He had been so focused on the child in his arms, that he had almost all but forgotten that Kirby was still with him.

Kirby hesitated a moment, but eventually pointed to the grey child, and worryingly asked, "H-he… okay, poyo?"

Meta Knight stayed quiet a moment, before giving a small sigh at the question, eyes dimming slightly. In a saddened tone, he replied. "It's hard to say little one… He's in pretty rough shape..."

Kirby's expression fell at the statement. He looked away from his mentor, posture slowly drooping in the process.

Noticing this Meta Knight continued. "However, I will be sure to try all that I can to help him… That I can assure you of," he said in a reassuring tone.

Kirby glanced back up at his mentor. Despite the sadness in his eyes, he gave a nod, accompanied with the tiniest of smiles appearing onto his face. He trusted his mentor, and knew without a doubt that he would try his very best to help this boy. Just that alone made him feel just the slightest bit better...

Giving a small sigh, Kirby blinked a couple times to redirect his mind, before asking, "H-helwp, poyo?"

Meta Knight looked up at Kirby again. "You want to help?" he asked. When Kirby nodded, he continued. "Alright. I'm sure I can find something for you to do…"

Kirby watched as Meta Knight reached into the Firt-Aid Kit, searching around for something that the pink puff could do.

"Ah! Here… this is the perfect job for you," Meta Knight stated, causing Kirby's eyes to light up.

He then pulled out a small roll of gauze, holding it out to him. Kirby took it, waiting for his mentor to explain.

"What I need you to do is to start unrolling that, and then carefully wrap it around his head. We need this wound of his covered to prevent any further injury to it. Just be gentle when you do. We don't want to hurt him... Do you think you can do that for me?" he asked, as he readjusted the child in his arms to an upright position to make it easier for Kirby to do his assigned task.

Kirby nodded, a smile forming on his face, happy to help. He then proceeded to do what his mentor asked of him. He was very careful, and made sure not to hurt or wake the grey puffball up, and with Meta Knight helping him along, it went relatively smooth.

"Okay, that's enough Kirby. You did good," Meta Knight said, satisfied. He grabbed the end of the gauze, tearing off the end to the appropriate length.

Uttering a small sigh, he started down at the pitiful youth, trying to think if there was anything more he could do for the child. The boy was cleaned up, and no longer dirty, his wounds had been tended to, and they had given him many blankets, and a toasty fire to sleep by. The puffballs foot was still a major issue, but that would have to wait. At this point, unless the kid pulled through and awoke, they couldn't do much more...

Breathing a final sigh, Meta Knight said to Kirby, "I think that's it little one… We've done the best we could… Now all we can do is wait..."

He then slowly stood up, the little puffball still in arms, before leaning over, and gently laying him down in the mass of blankets. Grabbing a couple of them, he snugly bundled the unconscious tot up as best he could. Anything he could do to help the child regain some body heat would help the boy's condition tremendously.

"Mena…?" Kirby suddenly piped up once again. "W-what do… wif him, poyo?"

"Well… If he gets better, I suppose he'll have to stay here," he replied, picking up all the First-Aid supplies he used. "He's far too ill to be out and about anytime soon, and he'll need lots of rest and care before he'll get any better."

"Tell poyo…?" Kirby continued, slowly laying down on his tummy in the pile of blankets. He tiredly stared at the unconscious boy a couple feet away from him.

Finished with his task, Meta Knight moved toward the pink puff. Sitting beside Kirby, he placed a hand atop the tot, and gently started rubbing; something that, by now, was almost instinctual to him. "If you're referring to telling anyone about him, then no. Not yet little one… Sword and Blade will have to know, but that can't be helped. They live here… However, I'd prefer if this be kept a secret for the time being. That means I don't want you talking to your friends about it until we know a bit more about the situation. This includes Fumu and Bun..."

At the comment Kirby glanced up at his mentor for a minute, slightly surprised just how secretive Meta Knight wanted this whole thing to be. It would sure be a hard task not letting his two best friends know about this. He told them almost everything! However, he decided to not argue about it. Meta Knight knew what was best…

"Poyo, okay…" he agreed, sleep starting to fill his eyes.

The two sat in silence for a few minutes, with Kirby getting sleepier by the minute with his mentors gentle caressing. He struggled to fight it, not wishing to miss anything, though his eyelid's continued to get heavier, and heavier.

Noticing Kirby's struggle, Meta Knight said, "Why don't you take a nap, little one. I'll be sure to wake you if anything new happens with the boy's condition."

Kirby uttered a tired huff, but eventually nodded in agreement. He gave a small yawn, curling up in the blankets, as Meta Knight continued to lull the toddler to sleep. It didn't take but a few minutes before he was out like a light...

Once he knew he wouldn't disturbed Kirby, Meta Knight removed his hand from the sleeping child, and stood up to check on their guest. He walked over to the grey puffball, and already a glimmer of hope sparked within him. The child's coloration already seemed a bit better than before, and laying a gentle hand on the boy, Meta knight could feel the child's body starting to slowly absorb the heat being provided to it. He also noticed the child's breathing was slowly growing stronger. No longer was his breathing shallow, and labored like before. Instead with each breath the puffball took it seemed deeper, steadier, fuller than the last…

Meta Knight breathed a small sigh of relief. If the youth's condition continued to improve like this, at this rate the boy would hopefully wake within the next day or so, and they could continue with his recovery process.

However, Meta Knight knew all too well that a situation like this couldn't be rushed. The puffball had obviously been through alot, and he would now wake into a new environment, not knowing how he got here, or who they were, and would likely be very disoriented, confused, probably even scared. At this point, it was impossible to know just exactly how the situation would play out, or what course of action would need to be taken next to better the youths health.

However, at this point there was no sense in worrying about such things. Only time would tell… Right now, Meta Knight was just glad the kid was alive…

He stared down at the unconscious toddler, cape tightly wrapped around his body. Keeping his hand on the boy, almost as if to make sure he was still breathing, in a low voice he whispered to himself, "Thank the stars we weren't too late…"

* * *

 **Wow... it's been a really long time hasn't it lol. I'm sorry for the long wait on this chapter guys! Even though this chapter has some very plot important events, it feels like it doesn't have much going on, so it was really difficult to write for some reason. I was also going through same major writers block for a while, and I just lacked motivation in my writing... Plus I'm a very slow writer so between life, and other hobby's I've just been slowly chipping away at my stories, more or less. Regardless I'm happy to have _finally_ completed something. Proof that I'm not dead lol. **

**Anyway, a couple things to mention about this story that I forgot until now. This story is set _after_ the defeat of Nightmare. As a result, Kirby's speech has improved a bit, and him and Meta Knight's relationship will be quite strong. **

**I feel like I'm forgetting something, but I think that's it. Anyway, chapter 3 is already in-progress so hopefully that'll be out soon, along with some chapters in my other stories. If you want to know the progress in my other works, just shoot me a message! Thank you all for always being so patient with me! ^-^**


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